Second death in hepatitis outbreak (1 Chi Chi's restaurant 410 sick ) [View All]

[RamboLiberal]

This has been a huge story in Pittsburgh, PA area. First thought that maybe an employee didn't wash hands, now thinking is it was in food supply. I think this goes to relaxtion of food safety regulations, poor farm workers conditions and possibly NAFTA. Article has good insights in to how poor working conditons could be culprit. BTW, this outbreak is occurring in Melissa Hart territory, one of the Bush butt kissing fresman reps.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/03318/239715.stm

A diabetic Hopewell woman, one of some 410 people who have come down with hepatitis A after eating at a Chi-Chi's restaurant in Beaver County, has died of liver failure.

She is the second person to die in the outbreak.

<snip>

Federal officials describe the outbreak as one of the worst ever, noting that hepatitis A outbreaks like this one originating in one restaurant typically sicken between 25 and 200 people.

<snip>

In response to the outbreak, Chi-Chi's is removing green onions from its salsas, garnishes and every other item on its menu at restaurants across the country. Green onion contamination has not been identified as the cause of the outbreak, but it is emerging as a prime suspect, due in part to recent hepatitis A outbreaks at restaurants in Georgia and Tennessee.

<snip>

Lab tests this past weekend showed the virus matches a strain commonly found in Mexico, said John Stella, regional food safety inspector for the state Department of Agriculture. That helped turn the ongoing outbreak investigation toward consideration of a contaminated food source as the likely cause.